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Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Show & Tell

I stumbled across this incredible talk by Guillermo Gomez-Peña morning and had to share it with you all. He discusses so many of the things we've been mulling over this term in such a poetic/performative/humorous/powerful manner.

I posted a few quotes below because I know everyone is busy, but I do so recommend listening if you get a chance.

"I think democracy cannot thrive without the critical voice of the artists constantly testing its limits and possibilities, without the ethical mirror of art reflecting the distorted features of power."

"Since 9/11, I became obsessed with hope, with finding its
spiritual source and location. Is hope a deep feeling of expansion located on
the chest, the abdomen? Is it a distant marker in the horizon that directs our
actions or a mysterious spiritual energy that propels you into the unknown? Is
hope a matter of quantum fury? A form of poetic will? Is hope by definition
illogical and unreasonable? Can hope be nurtured through education? Does hope
put you at odds with the state? Will I vote in the next elections? Did you vote
last week?

Unlike the presidential candidates, my hope is not connected to god,
country, or economy. My hope is located somewhere else, in obscure books, films,
and performances. In the small communities that exist under the radar of the
media. In the political streets of our cities. In the eyes of my students. In
late night conversations in a bar full of outsiders. In animal species I have
never seen. In the wisdom of indigenous cultures. My hope is always located on
the other side of the border, or the mirror, and in this very moment, my hope
is located in your arms.”

“Is love still an option? Love in times of war, disease and
global warming?Love amidst earthquakes
and floods? Under red alerts and a suspicious purple moon colored by smog and
chemical waste? Is it possible to love as if 9/11, the invasion of Iraq and New
Town never happened? As if America was a true democracy and an active member of
the world community? Can we love as if the Patriot Act didn’t exist? As if the
earth is not mortally wounded? As if we had open borders and open hearts? I
think we can. Love can certainly help us continue.”